


Underground fury

by GarGoyl



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Horror, M/M, Madness, Romance, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 05:53:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2610815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarGoyl/pseuds/GarGoyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Alfred F. Jones is a psychiatry student doing a temporary internship in an asylum. In the past he had struggled with his own multiple phobias and predisposition for nightmares, but now he is about to face a nightmare which could not be more real. Very creepy USUK. Warnings: violence, mature content. Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

A/N – Hello my dear readers! I must confess that the whole idea for this story did not just pop into my head now, it's from an original fiction (non-fanfiction) story I've written a few years ago. It wasn't particularly good, because I was at the beginning of my literary pursuits back then and it took a lot of work to 'bring it to surface. It won't be a very long one either, three chapters, but you know what they say – short but intense ;) Like almost all of my stories, it contains some magic. I don't know if this is because I'm technically part of the 'Magic Trio', but long story short I can barely do without it ;) That being said, enjoy and let me know what you think of it!

P.S. Both Alfred and Arthur are a bit OOC in this story, but it's all for the plot's sake. Written from Alfred's perspective.

* * *

Getting this job as a temporary break from his studies had been an excellent idea, Alfred thought as he sat on a bench scribbling some random observations in his notebook. The back garden was relatively small and quite poorly kept, yet here, under the thick trees still laden with the last golden leaves of autumn time seemed to stand still, it was incredibly peaceful. This place was so quiet and he felt he could even hear his own thoughts more clearly.

The bespectacled blond sighed, leaning on the backrest as he took a deep breath. Actually the time spent in the Kirkland asylum, where he also got to live as an intern, had proved unexpectedly productive. He had finally managed to catch up with coursework and deepen his knowledge with practice. He'd been allowed to study actual patient files and a few doctors had allowed him to assist at their consultations. But that wasn't everything – in the past few weeks Alfred himself had actually felt better – his nightmares had gradually subsided and for the first time he entertained some hope that one day he would be able to leave his multiple phobias behind. All these unexpected and wonderful changes were owed entirely to Dr. Braginski, the head doctor was simply a wonderful person. He was a man in his early forties, still looking youthful despite the random grey hairs which dotted his ashen blond hair, always calm and soft spoken, inspiring profound trust.

It was almost 9:00 A.M. when Alfred stood up from his favorite spot, collecting his stuff and headed towards Dr. Braginski's office. As usual, he softly knocked at the door and patiently waited to hear his mentor's voice before walking in. He found the doctor fumbling with some papers, in the company of a weird looking Chinese man. He wore some ancient worn assistant robe and his long, black hair was tied back in a messy ponytail.

"Oh hello, Alfred! Come in, I was expecting you," Dr. Braginski began in his usual good-humored tone as he stood up from his chair.

For some unknown reason – for he greatly respected and liked the doctor – Ivan Braginski's tall, massive frame, always clad in a pristine white robe managed to sort of intimidate Alfred every single time. There was something, like a hidden fear in the back of his mind, but he would usually attribute it to his screwed-up nerves.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he murmured in a low voice, adjusting his spectacles.

"Indeed, indeed, da. I was thinking, since you have been with us some three months now and doing such a great job… well, I've concluded that it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we gave you a more important assignment."

The assistant clutched his notebook to his chest as he inwardly processed what he'd just heard with a mixture of excitement and fear. A more important assignment clearly meant an opportunity to learn new stuff, but it also involved (he guessed) more responsibility and challenge. Well, better hear what the doctor had thought of before voicing any concerns.

"Sir?"

Dr. Braginski smiled kindly, reassuringly, handing him a thin file. "Starting tomorrow you will do routine checks on the patients in the underground level."

The Kirkland asylum was a fairly old building, with two levels above the ground and an underground one. The first level patients weren't mad _per say_ , but rather suffered from various mildly deviant behaviors. The top level held the administrative offices and the doctors' individual offices. The underground level however was reserved for severe cases, which usually did not respond to treatment. Not much was said about the patients kept in there and it seemed that even doctors rarely went down to visit them.

Alfred had heard from the other assistants that they could not be brought to the doctors' offices because they were too dangerous. There was also a legend which said that they weren't even people, but some sort of monsters. Alfred for one had never paid much attention to the rumors – he thought that all old establishments of this kind must be more or less subject to such absurd stories – all the more since his tasks were only related to the first level. The patients he usually attended to were gentle people, most of them very quiet, perhaps too absorbed by their own issues, but otherwise no trouble at all.

"Undergr-…" he stuttered nervously, a bit worried now that he was being faced with the actual thing.

"I know all the stories you must have heard about that place, da… can't really cut people's appetite for these things," Dr. Braginski stated with a smile, waving his hand dismissively. "But of course they're not true. Those people are not so bad really, they are just… too lost inside their nightmares, so to speak. After all, what is madness but a nightmare gone beyond control? Unfortunately, they don't respond to treatment, that's the worst problem."

Alfred flinched at the word 'nightmare', it was still a sensitive issue he would have rather avoided, despite the fact that the doctor always insisted that he should make an effort and face his fears.

"I see…"

"Yao will go with you on your rounds, he'll be with you at all times, da," Dr. Braginski assured pointing to the Chinese man. He's worked there for a very long time. He knows all of them, and they know him. There's nothing to worry about. And all you'll have to do is a brief check: pulse, eyes, tongue. We just want to make sure they're in good physical health at least. And the usual form filling."

Alfred sighed, realising he'd been very nearly holding his breath the entire time. "Oh, okay. It doesn't sound like a big deal," he said, not very convinced, but still curious.

"It isn't. Well, good. See you tonight then."

* * *

A sudden tension came over Alfred as the elevator took them down to the underground level. He had to admit to himself he was more than a bit worried as to what he was about to see, and for some reason he didn't like Yao Wang at all. The guy had a permanent slight grin on the corner of his mouth and had an overall unpleasant air.

The underground level consisted of a very long hallway, which started from the elevator and ended with a supplies closet. On the right side, near the elevator, there was a small office which belonged to Yao and a broom closet a bit further away. The twenty rooms - in fact cells - were all on the left side, with fair distance between them and had thick glass doors, allowing the assistant to observe the inhabitants at all times, just by walking up and down the hallway.

Yao stepped inside his office and grabbed a set of small access cards held together by a metal ring, which he handed to Alfred with a wry smile.

"This will be your set, aru. It's the keys to the cells, each with the room number. Keep it safe. Now, let's get started… I got them ready for you, as much as I could," he mumbled in a heavily accented voice.

The new assignment didn't prove a simple one for the young assistant. Even if they did not appear to be neglected, most of the patients looked fairly frightening and their stares alone sent shudders across his spine. Even if quiet and calm around Yao, they were still somehow horrible to the touch and their gaze examining him from head to toe made the blond uneasy. He was under the impression that some of them even tried to smell him, animal like. On top of it all, Yao was also observing him and smirked all the time. He sighed in relief when at last there were only two cells left.

"No… we won't get in this one," the Chinese said pushing away Alfred's hand as he had reached to open the door. "This guy's bad business. But he'll come close and you can see him, aru. He's pretty much alive and kicking."

From the dark side of the cell a solid man stood and walked to the door with steady, determined steps. He was even taller than Alfred and his muscles were visible from the tight gown he wore. His short hair was pale blonde and his eyes a steel blue. He got close to the glass and threw them a narrow gaze.

"Who the hell is this guy?" the assistant whispered, adjusting his spectacles with a shaky hand.

"Ludwig. He's German… don't know much about him aru."

"Was he a wrestler or something?"

"Um… I guess something like that and…"

Yao was suddenly interrupted when Ludwig raised his fist and slammed it into the door with extreme violence. The glass shook and small crumbles of mortar fell on the floor. Alfred jumped and dropped his notebook.

"Shit…" grumbled Yao. "He kind of always does that… He'll chill eventually. Doesn't like to be stared at."

He then hurried Alfred to the last cell. "You'll go in here alone, aru. Don't need me with this one. I got him ready and stuff…" Yao mumbled. "Just call me when you're done, I'll be at my desk."

Alfred cautiously opened the door and stepped in. A boy sat on a chair in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the floor and giving no sign of having noticed him. The assistant walked towards him carefully, watching out for any reaction.

"Hi…" he tried, but the boy remained still, staring in the same point, somewhere on one of the empty walls. Alfred couldn't help examining him curiously - he was probably in his early twenties and strikingly good looking. His porcelain-white skin was smooth and flawless, his hair - although badly tousled and spiky - had a pleasant golden shade and his eyes, large and of a light, bright green like the first buds of spring were marked by thick, defined eyebrows. His body was somewhat petite and lithe, with thin, delicate bones, like a cat's. He wore a simple, white, knee long gown, directly on his skin and his feet were bare.

"I will not hurt you, it's just a routine check…" Alfred said softly, but the odd patient had no reaction whatsoever.

He gently took one of the boy's hands - which rested limply on his lap - and checked his pulse. It was normal, but his skin was ice cold. Suddenly, Alfred realized that the room had no heating. In fact, none of rooms in the underground level had. Observing the patient's outfit, he thought that the boy should probably be frozen. He glanced at the bed, in a dark corner, but saw nothing but a very thin sheet over the mattress.

"Hold on, I'll get you a blanket," the bespectacled blond said and jogged out of the room, to the supplies closet. Upon his return, he placed the blanket on the bed and turned to the odd boy.

"Okay, this will only take a minute, and then we'll get you warm." He checked the patient's eyes and then gently parted his lips to take a look at his tongue. He was completely numb. Alfred was suddenly surprised to feel his breath on his fingers. It was literally hot, in complete contrast with the rest of his body. Now that was really weird and for a moment he thought that the boy had fever. He quickly, worriedly placed his palm on his forehead and neck. They were warm, but nothing unusual.

"Okay, we're done. Let's get you to bed now." As the boy did not move, Alfred gently lifted him up and carried him to bed. His eyelids fell shut tiredly as he was laid down. The other blond pulled the blanket up to his chin and gently tucked it around him, then picked up his notebook and left the room.

"Hey, Yao, I'm done here!" the assistant called as he walked down the hallway towards the elevator.

"Freshhhhh meeeeaaat…" Alfred suddenly heard a bloodcurdling hiss behind him and he turned around startled, blinking somewhat in sync with the flickering light bulbs. He could swear he had even felt someone's breath on the back of his neck and a cold shudder ran down his spine. But there was no one. The hall was empty.

* * *

The checks went smoothly for the next week, two times a day, yet Alfred could still not get used to doing it. There was something foul and suffocating about the underground level, something he could not quite put his finger on, but it ate at him nevertheless. It was a gut feeling, something beyond his usual issues and he found that he couldn't talk about it, not even with Dr. Braginski. Besides, the blond wouldn't have liked the doctor to think that he wasn't able to handle this otherwise simple assignment.

It was about 8:30 P.M. when Alfred stepped out of the elevator and popped his head in Yao Wang's office. "Hey, Yao. Are you ready?"

"Sure, aru. Let's go."

They had done the first three cells and were headed to the next one when the two of them suddenly heard a terrible noise of broken glass. The alarm system went on and the all lights went out, except for the emergency bulbs.

"Shit! Someone's out! They are locking us down here, aru!" Yao Wang screamed as they saw the elevator lights changing color. "We cannot get out of here!"

A wave of terror washed over the younger assistant, as he threw frantic glances around, trying to process what he'd been told and to figure out what the hell was going on. "Wait! Who- who's out? How can someone get out?" he yelled back at Yao, grabbing his arm. His heart was pounding wildly and he struggled to control his breathing.

"It must be Ludwig! He fucking broke the door, aru! Fuckin' shit!"

"But he can't! He can't!"

"Seems he fuckin' can! Lose the white robe, aru, he hates hospital staff! I've got to go try to make a phone call. God help us!" Yao shouted and ran towards his office.

Alfred was in utter shock and found impossible to get his own feet moving. He could almost feel his blood running wildly into his veins, one with the adrenaline rush and there was a horrible tightness in his chest. This was worse than any nightmare he could remember having in a very long time. Just when he eventually snapped out of it, tossed the white robe away and was about to follow Yao, a hand grabbed him and he felt fingers closing around his neck as he was lifted off the floor and pinned to the wall. Ludwig's eyes were sparking in the dim light of the emergency bulbs. Alfred let out a scream, only causing the German's fingers to squeeze harder. He ran out of air and his mind went blank, panic completely blocking his thoughts. Struggling blindly, frantically, the blond eventually managed to kick Ludwig in the stomach with his boot with all his strength, causing the giant to stagger and let go of him. Alfred dropped to his knees, confused and scared out of his mind, but quickly stood up and distanced.

"Yao!" he shouted desperately, but there was no answer. The blasted Yao Wang was nowhere in sight. Alfred ran down the hallway and entered the last cell, closing the door. It locked automatically and he was instantly engulfed by the darkness inside, the only pale light coming from the bulb in the hallway. It suddenly crossed his mind that if he wanted to get out it would take him quite some time to find the card which opened it. He also remembered the odd boy residing in there and quickly wheeled around, gripped by new panic.

And indeed, there he stood in the semi-obscurity of the cell, leaning on the back wall, watching him intently. He wasn't numb anymore and this time Alfred knew that the patient was positively looking at him. He winced when the green-eyed boy eventually moved and drew closer to him. His lost stare was gone, replaced by somewhat of an ironic gaze and an almost imperceptible smirk curved the corner of his lips. Terror seized Alfred's throat like an invisible claw at the sight, constricting and making it impossible to breathe once more. A cold shudder ran down his spine as the boy crept closer and closer and eventually he felt his hot breath on his cheek. But the bespectacled blond found himself even more terrified to hear him speak, the strange voice but a husky whisper with thick British accent.

"Alfred… you were good to me… You are not like the others… You were the only one who didn't try to beat me… or abuse me…you even brought me a blanket…" The strange boy paused and smiled faintly. "Now… I will be good to you… I won't kill you."

_**To be continued** _


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – Aaaaaaand we're back with a second chapter of this… creepy thing my twisted muses have come up with. It's a tad shorted than the first one, but only because the story ended up being split into three parts and I tried to make them somewhat equal in length.  So enjoy and let me know what you think of my sinister little tale, because things are starting to heat up… or something ;)

* * *

A wave of terror washed over poor Alfred as he stood there trembling, staring at the odd boy with a thick English accent, fists clenched helplessly at his sides. "Wha- how do you know my name?" he mumbled in a shaky voice." And… you killed the others? What are you saying…?" He was scared like hell. As if the whole Ludwig thing hadn't been enough, now this. He was but a tiny boy, but his bright green gaze alone had the assistant backed to the wall.

The Englishman smiled lightly, briefly, peeling himself off the wall. "I had to… And I know everything about you. I sneaked into your mind," he chuckled.

Alfred swallowed hard, but remained silent, unable to think anymore. Sneaked into his mind? Was that even possible? No, all these people were mad, they were mad to the worst extent and they would only seek to drive him mad as well! How could Dr. Braginski send him down into this… this hell? Was this really the kind of exposure he needed to get over his own issues? Somehow he doubted it! Would someone even come down to save him? And where the hell had Yao Wang gone?

"I presume you took refuge in here… now that Ludwig escaped. But don't worry, if you are a very, very good boy you will be safe and sound," the green-eyed boy - whose name Alfred didn't even know - whispered again.

"And who are you?" he managed to ask at last.

"I am not someone… I am something," the Englishman explained calmly. "But he calls me the Fury".

Alfred choked. "H-he? Who is-"

"Forget about him now," the bizarre boy interrupted, looking suddenly impatient."I like you. A lot," he chuckled. "Do you like me, Alfred?"

"I… um…"

"Great!"

Before he even realized what was happening, the boy grabbed his arm with surprising force and the next thing he felt was the painful contact his back made with the mattress of the hospital bed. The damned thing was so thin that the assistant could feel the iron bars as if they had nothing on. He let out a groan and the boy smiled.

"Nasty bed, I know. Courtesy of Dr. Braginski. Would you prefer the floor?"

"N-no…"

"I knew it," the Englishman said climbing on top of him, emerald gaze piercing and peculiarly mesmerizing in the same time. He leaned and took the assistant's mouth into a bruising kiss, while he kept his wrists pinned down on the bed. He was impossibly strong. As the still horror-struck Alfred found himself unable to struggle or otherwise oppose, the boy eventually let go and nimble fingers quickly moved down to undo his jeans. Once unzipped, he pulled them down together with his boxers. He pulled away from the kiss for a second and looked down at the bespectacled blond, lying defenseless beneath him. Alfred's eyes grew larger as he felt the Englishman's hand fondling him. Both his mouth and his touch were hot like fire.

"I… don't think…" the assistant began, but the other shushed him, taking off his glasses. "You won't get any burns, I promise…" he whispered into his ear.

The blond Englishman kissed him again and his hand continued. When the other was ready, he straddled him, never breaking contact with his lips. Alfred felt like sinking into liquid fire and a mixture of various sensations overwhelmed him. Hands sneaked under his t-shirt exploring his skin as the boy moved. Lips moved down to his neck, lightly biting the delicate skin above his collarbone and a hot mouth stifled his moan as he eventually came.

"Shhh… we must not be heard," the patient whispered, running gentle fingers through his damp hair, as Alfred panted heavily with his eyes closed. He then took off his shoes, jeans and boxers, tossing them on the floor. His t-shirt followed. The other blond opened his eyes and looked at him, squinting a bit before pulling the boy's gown over his head and tossed it down to join his own clothes.

"Shouldn't we have done this before?" he asked smiling and the green-eyed Englishman knew that his fear was gone now.

"It's far from over… I'll just let you rest a little," he giggled, pulling the blanket over their bodies and allowing Alfred to pull him down into a gentle embrace. He seemed surprised at the gesture, but still let his head fall on the assistant's shoulder and let him hold him to his chest.

"I know what they told you… that there are monsters down here, but the big monster lives out there, in the upper chambers," the boy murmured softly as his index finger drew indefinite shapes on his shoulder. "You know of whom I speak…"

Through all the blurry and messy thoughts he was fighting to contain and tune out, Alfred could feel one particular suspicion surfacing and growing stronger by the minute. It wasn't so much that he trusted the boy (could someone clearly dangerous really be trusted? Probably not…) but the facts… And the facts were, no one was coming to get him out.

"I guess," he sighed. "But why is he keeping you here? What have you done?"

The Englishman sighed too, curling up closer and suddenly appearing very vulnerable. "It's not about what I have done, it's about what I am. That and the fact that he cannot control my powers…"

"Does he want that? To control… your powers?" The question slipped off the assistant's lips almost against his will. Did he really want to get to the bottom of this? And again, could he rely on what someone like that was telling him? Something told him this was something he really didn't want to delve into…

"Not only mine… But we refused to obey. That's why he ordered…" the boy whispered and shifted slightly. Right then Alfred noticed a whip scar which started on his left shoulder and ran down his smooth back. He couldn't refrain from passing a trembling finger along it, terror gripping him with renewed force. The boy had clearly been beaten, but had that happened _here_?

"So you only defended yourself…" he said softly, caressing the Englishman's tousled hair.

"I won't hide it from you," the boy replied, "When I lose my temper, all hell breaks loose. I tend to get very violent…"

Alfred couldn't help wincing slightly upon hearing such a confession. "Well… t-that's not very good news. I think you're never gonna get out of here if you don't learn to temper yourself."

The Englishman tilted his head and looked up at him, leafy-green orbs harboring a shadow of confusion."No one ever leaves this place," he replied after a few moments. "Neither will you, Alfred."

The taller blond managed a crooked smile. "So I won't be safe and sound after all…" he said, but clearly the assistant hadn't meant to sound so light humored. In fact, he was utterly terrified. Why was he being told that? Was it true? But then, why would Dr. Braginski want to harm him, or confine him here? Or perhaps the doctor had accepted him precisely because he'd figured that Alfred was a hopeless case and had found a manner to keep him here and… and what, prevent him from escaping? No, no, no! That… that wasn't possible!

"I'm not talking about me here."

"But I'm not a patient, I'm an assistant!"

"I said no one." the boy stressed firmly. "And you cannot do anything to save neither of us…"

* * *

Alfred woke up and blinked in the darkness, without having any idea where he was or why. However, the roughness of the hospital blanket against his bare skin quickly helped him recall the events of the previous night with incredible accuracy. He shifted slightly and saw the Englishman curled up against him, fast asleep. He stretched out a hand and searched for his watch and glasses in the pile of clothing lying on the floor, fighting back a shudder. So… that had just happened… The blond quickly put his glasses on and unsuccessfully squinted at the small quadrant.

"It's 5:30 A.M…." he suddenly heard the boy mumble sleepily behind him.

"What?" he turned startled. "How do you know?"

"Bloody hell… I just do," came the grumbled reply. "Please stop moving the blanket, it's so cold in here…"

Alfred's hand however continued its search and encountered a metal ring. It was the set of access keys to the underground cells. He picked them up, weighing the small bundle in his palm as he pondered. Or more like, he tried to. Oh, fuck this!

"Hey…" he said softly, brushing some stray bangs off the smaller blond's face. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Mmmm… what about?" the Englishman grumbled again, lifting his head off the pillow lazily.

"I want to give you this," Alfred said, holding up the set of keys.

"WHAT?" the boy quickly sat up, pulling the blanket to his chest defensively. "No, no, you can't do this, Alfred. This is awfully wrong… After all, you don't know shit about me, you have no idea who I am and what I am about. And I'm not as you think-"

If asked, Alfred couldn't have explained why he was doing this, if there was any logical reason for his action past a certain gut feeling that it was the right thing to do. "If you were a cold-blooded murderer you would have killed me by now and gotten the keys anyway, since I was stupid enough to come in here all alone and shit," he interrupted firmly.

"Well then, you don't need to get yourself into a deeper shit than the one you're in already. After all, why do you care?" the boy asked.

"Look, it might sound crazy, but I just know that you don't belong here!" The assistant could hardly say with all certainty that 'he knew that', but at this point he hardly cared, it was all way past his bearable limits of weirdness. He gently put the set of keys in the boy's hand and closed his fingers around it. "Please…"

He then quickly got off the bed and dressed in a hurry, while the Englishman kept staring at the keys in his hand with a confused frown.

"I gotta go now, the alarm lights have gone off. There is no danger anymore," Alfred said as he turned to him, but not meeting the other's gaze. "I'll need this for a moment…" He took the keys from the boy's hand and went to open the door, then threw them back on the bed.

Once out of the room, the assistant could not help letting out a relieved sigh. But then suddenly, as he walked down the hallway towards the elevator, he nearly ran into Yao as the Chinese came out of the brooms closet. He flinched violently upon seeing the other, stumbling a few steps back and instinctively avoiding the other's questioning glance.

"Hey kid! Thought you weren't among the living anymore, aru… I heard you scream and thought the big bastard got you," he said.

Alfred gulped – now that was some excuse for not even bothering to actually check if he was alive or dead. Although maybe it had been better that Yao had not come to check…"He did grab me, actually. But I managed to kick him in the stomach and he let go. I ran and hid into the supplies closet at the end of the hall. Fortunately, he didn't follow fast enough," he explained with a wry smile.

"Yeah, well…" Yao said with a suspicious look. "You were lucky, aru. Others before you weren't. Let's head back up, now. I've got to report to Dr. Braginski. Thank the Gods the guards got a hold on the big guy."

"What happened to him? To Ludwig I mean…" Alfred asked, once in the elevator which was now functional once more.

"No shit really, aru… They sedated him and locked him up, with a thousand bonds on him and all." the Chinese mumbled. Then Yao fell silent, staring at his feet.

Christ, he'd slept with a patient! Could things have gotten more insane than that? And what the fuck would happen if they found out? Alfred slapped his hand over his face.

"You ok, aru?" Yao asked as they reached the ground level and the elevator stopped.

"I think…" Alfred started, but the place began to spin around him, faster and faster, until everything suddenly went black.

* * *

The assistant woke up twelve hours later, in a separate room on the first level (or so he guessed by the setting and furniture). His head was absolutely pounding and shaky fingers felt a painful bump on the side of his head which had probably collided with the elevator wall, or floor, or…

"What happened to me?" he asked the old nurse standing next to his bed, a meek smile on her face as he busied herself with arranging some stuff on the nightstand.

"You had a hard time down there, sweetie. You must rest for a while." She handed him a couple of pills and a glass of water. Alfred stared at them confused. Pills? Surely the two miniscule, oddly colored spheres were not for a simple headache. This didn't look good, he thought he was past the pills phase…

"What is this?"

"Your prescription," she explained in a soft voice.

"But I don't need…" he replied pushing her hand away.

"Dr. Braginski's orders. Now be a good boy."

He took them and dropped back on the pillows, feeling drowsy.

_**To be continued** _


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Dear all, we're finally at the third and last chapter of this peculiar little endeavor of mine. 

_Warnings: violence, slightly disturbing content_

* * *

"You incompetent bastards! Explain to me how this shit was possible then?" Dr. Braginski was yelling in the phone when Yao stepped into his office, a troubled expression evident on his face. "Fine, because I'm not paying you another cent extra, da!" he screamed again, hanging up. The doctor proceeded to look up from his papers questioningly, his irritation unfaltering.

"What's the matter, Yao?"

The Chinese fidgeted, staring down at his worn shoes, purposely avoiding looking at his superior. "Um… we've got a small problem, sir… it's the kid's keys, they're nowhere… I searched his room, his clothes… nothing. There's nothing!" Yao mumbled.

"What keys? What are you talking about?" Dr. Braginski asked watching him inquisitively as he sat up and eventually abandoned everything else.

The Chinese assistant rummaged in his pocket and produced a crumpled handkerchief, dabbing at his damp forehead with it. "I gave him a set of keys from the underground cells… And they're gone, sir…"

"Damn it, Yao, perhaps he lost them the other night, da." Yao stared at his feet again, this time with a guilty look on his face. Dr. Braginski noticed and approached him. "Is there something you're not telling me? Da?"

"There is, sir… After Ludwig was caught and all, Jones showed up and told me he had been hiding in the supplies closet. But he was lying sir, because I had looked in there earlier and he wasn't in there… I saw him, sir… He sneaked into _that_ room... the Fury's… And strange enough, he's still alive because I think that… he slept with _him_ , sir…"

The Russian stared, utterly perplexed by what he was hearing and swallowed hard, in shock. "Damned whore… What has that to do with the keys? You don't think…" Yao remained silent. "You're gonna go and get them! Now, da!" he yelled.

"Wha- in _that thing's_ cell, sir? He'd have me killed in a second if I tried to search him and stuff…" Yao murmured, stepping back frightened.

"I don't give a fuck how fast he kills you! Get the keys back, you bastard!"

Being given no other choice, the Chinese man stumbled out of the room reluctantly, still mumbling apologies.

* * *

Alfred woke up abruptly, shaken by a pair of strong arms. He blinked groggily and very confused as he saw a tall, muscular attendant grabbing his shoulders roughly. Another one, equally solid, was standing right behind him. Despite dizziness and being still under the influence of drug-induced sleep, fear shot through him instantly, helping to clear his head somewhat.

"Wake up, Jones!" the man shouted. "Start talking! What did you do with the keys?"

"Uhmmm…" the assistant groaned, squinting so he could get a better glimpse of the man's face. Where the hell were his glasses? "What keys?" he asked, trying to reach past the other's arms to the nightstand. Maybe they were there, he hated not being able to see clearly.

"Having amnesia, huh?" The attendant pulled him up brusquely and slammed his back forcefully against the stone wall. "Look, I suggest you fucking tell me what you did with them, otherwise you're in big shit!"

The keys… what keys? Alfred struggled to make sense of the question at first, but then… of course, the set he'd given to the strange Englishman who could have killed him but had chosen not to… The one with whom… well. "The keys… I lost them the other night… I think…" he stammered.

"You fucking bastard!" the man suddenly slammed his right fist into the blond's cheek, throwing him to the floor. "You think you can lie to me? You will suffer the consequences and…"

The young assistant didn't hear the rest of it, blacking out the second his head collided with the floor tiles. The two men wasted no time in dragging him out of the room and into an interrogation chamber, where he was once more brought back to his senses with a bucket of ice cold water. The blond sat up, shivering, and saw the one who'd punched him earlier swinging a whip back and forth. An actual whip. He could not believe this was happening.

"You gonna talk now?"

"Fuck you!" he snapped back with all his strength. Of course, _that_ had been a very unfortunate idea, but there was hardly anything else to say. Another two men came from behind and grabbed him, tearing his clothes off and restraining him with some shackles attached to the wall. The first strike broke like lightning through his skin and into his brain.

An hour later, Dr. Braginski walked into the interrogation chamber.

"Did he talk?"

"No sir. And the bastard didn't even scream once…. He's quite stubborn, this one."

"We'll break him. It's a matter of time, da. Take him to a special cell. The usual treatment."

* * *

Few days had passed, but for Alfred time had completely lost its meaning. He was lying on the floor of a dark cell, with heavy chains on his wrists and ankles. He was neither asleep, nor awake. After almost a week with nothing but water, he had no energy left and felt completely numb, drifting in and out of consciousness, hopelessness conquering him bit by bit as he tormented himself with answerless questions. Why? Why did no one ever leave this place? Could he have made such grave a mistake that… but surely, he could be handed over to the police if he'd committed any sort of crime, but not thrown straight into a dungeon such as this one! The only explanation the young assistant could come up with – the last piece of reason – was that Dr. Braginski had thought him beyond any treatment from the beginning and had only sought a way to prove it. And now… the underground level was probably waiting for him. And what had happened to that strange, green-eyed boy? Alfred hadn't even gotten his name… _'You cannot do anything to save neither of us.'_ At least he had tried.

The door swung open and two of the ruffians he'd gotten used to already stepped in. "Up, Jones! You've got an appointment today," one of them grinned as they grabbed him and dragged him outside, to Dr. Braginski's office.

Upon their entrance, the doctor stood up from his desk and watched in silence as his former assistant was forced down on his knees and his chains attached to some metal rings on the floor.

"Leave us," he ordered and the men retired. "Now, Alfred, I want us to talk, da," the Russian said in a soft voice, crouching down to meet the other's eyes, but Alfred did not look at him. He knew now that Dr. Braginski was no savior. On the contrary, he must have been the monster who lived up here, in the upper chambers.

"I need to say first that I am very disappointed of you, da, I really thought… But well, it doesn't matter now. He must have messed with your mind, that's why you… Did you give him the keys, Alfred?"

He got no answer. He gently lifted the blond's chin, but his eyes met nothing but a blank stare.

"Look, I'm really trying to help you here, da… But you must help me too, otherwise we're going nowhere. And I want to do this because… I have feelings for you," Dr. Braginski whispered.

Alfred winced as the doctor's hand squeezed his shoulder lightly, giving him a thousand needles of pain. It then went up to caress the back of his neck and he started to tremble uncontrollably as the touch became unbearable. Dr. Braginski smiled faintly and his thumb brushed over the bruise on the assistant's face, then down over his lower lip, as his own lips slightly parted and his mouth drew closer. The blond was suddenly hit by the truth and tried to pull away, but the chains held him in place. This was the Hell and there was no escape from it. He just closed his eyes.

Just then, the phone rang and Dr. Braginski pulled back, startled. He stood up to answer, mumbling something and pressing a button on his desk. The two bulky men showed up the blink of an eye.

"Take him back to his cell. We'll continue tomorrow, da." he said in a low voice, covering the phone.

The two men took Alfred back to his cell and this time they fixed his chains to the metal rings on the wall, forcing him to an upright position, with his back stuck to the cold stones. When they finished, one of them brought his mouth to the blond's ear:

"You know what he's gonna do to you, right?" he whispered smiling as he let his hand go along Alfred's spine to his lower back and a bit further down. "You're fucked." he chuckled as he gave a quick squeeze. They left slamming the door shut.

* * *

Alfred's knees went weak as he felt fear spreading rapidly throughout his body. It would only get worse, this whole thing! An hour of agony passed until curfew time, and all lights went out. There were only a few neon rays breaking through from the corridor. In the darkness, horror choked him and the anxiety got sharper. Just how far… how far would this go? His arms and feet ached and he wished he could just crouch on the floor and lay there like a dead thing, fall asleep and forget, just forget it all.

He'd almost dozed off when the door cracked open without a sound and a dark shadow slipped inside, closing it back. Alfred didn't realize the strange presence until he felt hot breath on his neck and his eyes opened.

"What-" he whispered.

"… took me so long?" came the answer."I had some difficulties." The Englishman put one arm around his neck, caressing his face with the other hand and he gave him a soft kiss on the lips. The taller blond let out a groan as the boy touched the bruise under his eye.

"Oh... sorry," he said withdrawing his hand. "I told you not to give me the keys."

"Yes… you did," Alfred grumbled."Dr. Braginski got really pissed, by the way."

The Englishman shook his head, sighing softly. "I will be honest with you, Alfred. Even if you hadn't been with me and given me the keys, things still would not have been smooth for you. I don't know if you already found out or not, but Dr. Braginski likes you. _That way."_

"Oh hell…" Alfred grumbled, his head lolling backwards and lightly hitting the tiled wall. "I discovered today, yes. It seems a lot of people like me that way, all the sudden."

"It can't be helped," the boy chuckled in reply.

"Do you still like me, now?"

The green-eyed boy cupped his cheek and kissed him again, now taking his time. "I could say that I like you even more, now that you are a mess, but that would be slightly disturbing, wouldn't it?" he whispered.

"Yes. And disgusting," Alfred murmured. "You should go now before they discover you're gone. Hurry!"

"You mean we should go," the boy said, pulling back.

"What?"

"Look, you've got two choices: one - you come with me or two – you stay here and let Dr. Braginski take extremely good care of your little ass. Literally."

The thought made Alfred want to throw up. "Can we not speak of this, please?"

The Englishman giggled. "I liked to touch you and shit while you were still in chains, but we'll have to take them off now." Saying that, he clenched his fist around the chain on the assistant's left wrist and pulled, causing it to come out together with the ring in the wall. He proceeded in the same way with all four, and then he slammed his fist on each of their joints, cracking them open. Alfred stared in shock as they dropped to the floor, one by one.

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm freaky. Can you walk?"

"I think so…"

"Here, I found these and thought you might need them."

Propping himself on the wall not to lose his balance, Alfred snatched the glasses from the other blond's hand relieved. Not being able to see well on top of everything had increased his distress tenfold all this time.

They stepped out in the corridor. As it was empty and there were no sounds of approaching steps, they crept towards the exit in silence as fast as they could. It wasn't very fast though, because the former assistant found himself terribly dizzy and numb after days of being restrained and was stumbling at every step. But then suddenly a door opened right in front of them.

Alfred tried to turn back, but the strange boy stopped him. "We're not running."

A man stepped out in the corridor and much to his horror Alfred recognized the ruffian who had whipped him. "Jones? How the fuck did you get out?" he shouted advancing towards them. "This time you're not getting away so easy…"

The words froze on his lips at the sight of the Fury, as he appeared from behind Alfred. Before he could draw back, the Englishman lunged forward and hit him across the face and the man dropped to the floor, where he remained motionless.

"Is he dead?" Alfred asked leaning over him and squinting confusedly, but his hand was promptly yanked by the escaped patient.

"I very much doubt it. Get his keys!"

* * *

In a few more minutes they had made to the courtyard and the strange boy led them out through a hole in the surrounding wall. The cool night air made Alfred shiver in the light hospital gown and he hugged himself, rubbing his upper arms heartily. His bare feet didn't help either as they trotted on the small concrete path leading towards the road as fast as they could.

"So, how did you know about this exit?" the bespectacled blond asked, more to take his mind off the current situation. There was only a matter of time until the attendant would come back to his senses or be found by someone, or his empty cell discovered. And then what? Maybe Dr. Braginski was right and he was crazy, otherwise why would he have trusted the boy?

"It's very old, actually. Nobody knows about it anymore, now that it's hidden by the bushes."

But there it was, the strange patient knew so many things he couldn't normally have known. He just… knew _too much_. "From the days of Kirkland?" he asked absentmindedly, not knowing why or really processing the words going past his lips. But they seemed to have hit a sensitive spot, because the green-eyed boy turned around startled. "They named this asylum after a patient in the 19th century, his name was Kirkland… something. He is said to have been very beautiful and the young doctor running the place fell for him head over heels and gave it his favorite's patient's name." Alfred went on, quoting from the history he'd read on the website. Some messed-up thing to put on the website of a respectable medical institution that was, now that he thought of it.

"Francis…" the Englishman whispered sadly and sighed, inhaling deeply as he walked, gripping Alfred's hand tightly.

"What?"

"The doctor's name was Francis."

A cold shudder ran down the taller blond's back and he stumbled again, glanced around frantically, frightened. Just what the hell was going on? He half wanted to escape, pull away, but the green-eyed boy's hand was so warm around his own, strong yet gentle, making him feel safe.

"Don't be afraid," the Englishman told him, falling in step and pulling him closer. "Dr. Braginski has been taken care of. Ludwig closed some accounts tonight." The other opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so the boy went on. "He's my friend. The only one I've ever had. He always protected me."

"W-what about the others? The other patients in the underground level, what happened to them?" the former assistant stammered, as soon as found his voice.

"Nothing, they're still there."

"You just left them there?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know them. And they're all lunatics."

They reached the main road and stared into the unfolding darkness, as the boy seemed to ponder on their next move. Alfred for one could not think of anything, only to look back towards the asylum, warily looking out for any sign of movement. They couldn't just have escaped, like that. No, it wasn't possible, it was too easy! But the shockers were far from over, now the young Englishman was now waving for a cab. Could he possibly think that anyone would take them, in their state nonetheless? But to his utmost surprise, one approaching car actually began slowing down.

"He'll never take us!"

His bizarre companion was undeterred. "Would you like to bet?"

* * *

At last the cab stopped in front of Alfred's house. The bespectacled blond stepped out, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, followed by his former patient. Could they really have escaped that horrible nightmare? Was it finally over?

"I guess this is goodbye," the Englishman said with a faint smile.

"Will I ever see you again?" Alfred whispered.

"No, Alfred, I'm afraid it's not possible…" But then the boy jumped into his arms and gave him a deep kiss, while holding him tightly. Suddenly he pulled away and just looked straight into his eyes. "I have to go now…"

"Can you at least tell me your name?" the other blond begged.

"Arthur Kirkland." the green-eyed Englishman whispered before he disappeared inside the cab.

**THE END**


End file.
